The Devil movie review: Darshan Thoogudeepa fails to impress, a missed chance that doesn't work

The Devil

The Kannada movie 'The Devil', which came out in theaters on December 11, 2025, made a lot of people very happy.

In the movie, Darshan Thoogudeepa plays double role. Fans were quite thrilled about the movie and thought it would be great. A lot of people thought it would be a terrific movie for a lot of people since the trailer was gritty and the script promised an interesting story about power, politics, and getting back at someone. The last movie, on the other hand, doesn't live up to its promise; it largely feels outdated and not very good.

Story:

Dhanush (Darshan) is the primary character of The Devil. He has a terrible past. The plot contained personal issues and conflicts for political power, which would have made it interesting. Darshan plays more than one character, which is a goal that isn't very common. Sadly, it's one of the only things that makes the movie fascinating. He has several scenes when he shows off his star power and screen presence, but the rest of the story isn't that good.

Also Read: The Devil Twitter Review: Darshan Thoogudeepa starrer political drama receives mixed reactions, users say 'okayish first half'

Analysis and performances:

The tone of the script is really crucial. The Devil pulls a lot from older works, such making violence and bad behavior seem natural by putting them in places that feel like they belong in a different time period. Things like how nonchalantly an attempted attack is shown make me think of bad characters from the past who don't fit in with today's world. Using language that are too common and treating women like objects ruined what could have been a more interesting problem.

Achyuth Kumar and Rachana Rai are two of the supporting players, but they don't do much, and many of the main actors don't get to show off their skills. The movie should have focused on the main story, but the bad subplots and forced jokes got in the way.

It's hard for the Devil to keep up with the times. Putting music and lyrics in sequence doesn't make them better. Even the fight scenes aren't as exciting as they should be for a great talent. Some people in the audience say that the pacing and editing aren't always the same, especially in the first half. This makes the movie seem longer than it is.

Most of the time, the audience's reaction has been awful. A lot of people feel the movie is worth seeing since Darshan is great on screen and plays two roles. But many people also say that the tale isn't really deep, innovative, or modern. People on social media say that the story isn't interesting and that the movie is just another boring ad.

Fans of the actor will still like several parts of The Devil. Fans adore the strong and mass-style parts, and they make great beats for movies that people like.

A lot of people hoped that The Devil would be a novel and interesting story. Instead, it's a drama that doesn't always work and is full of tired tropes and awful acting. Darshan's performance is still the strongest aspect of the movie, but it doesn't fit in with the style and subject matter well enough to be a wonderful addition to Kannada cinema in 2025. If you like novel stories and interesting movies, this one might not be for you. But hardcore fans will still find passages that give them the "mass" intensity they love.

Verdict:

The Devil is a bad movie, yet it may be humorous at times, largely because of Darshan's double act. The tale is old-fashioned, and the pacing isn't always correct, though.

Rating: 2/5